It's been a crazy Winter here in California. The State's largest wildfire happened on the Central Coast of California in December followed by catastrophic mudslides that killed 21...and two people are still missing. How does a small community like that handle such a gigantic catastrophe? The answer is Mutual Aid. Mutual Aid Agreements are in place between local, state, and federal agencies all across the United States. Which brings us to our first bullet point:

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STORY: Writing about Major CatastrophesThe California Office of Emergency Services put together several manuals for managing major incidents. Fortunately, you candownload them directly from the California OES. Scroll down to the LEMA (Law Enforcement Mutual Aid) links to learn howfirst responders formulate response plans for critical incidents. Also be sure to check out the column on the right side of the page with additional links. TheCoroners & Mass Fatality linkwill give you more research sources. We've had discussions in theFacebook Q&A Group (click here to join)about using cadaver dogs and this CalOES page is the group that we make the cadaver dog requests through. While these links are certainly California-centric, it may give you an idea of how the set up works wherever you've set your story or it may give you a starting point of what to look for research-wise in your area.

RESEARCH: Forensic ScienceIn theFacebook Q&A Group, a question was asked about how the termforensicis doing when it comes to sounding dated or falling out of fashion. I've written before about cop slang, so I thought this was actually a really fair question. The answer is that the wordforensic,when usedcorrectly, isn't slang or lingo. That said, it has become a slang abbreviation forforensic science.As a writer, it is really important to understand that when the adjectiveforensicmodifies a noun (usually a field of study) it meansapplied to law.Forensic scienceisscience applied to law; Forensic Accountingisaccounting applied to law; Forensic Odontologyis thestudy of teeth applied to law.

The NFSTC also has this greatResearch Digest from late-2017with links to all sorts of fascinating forensic science research white-papers. A note of warning, you will go down the research-rabbit-hole with this and likely lose half a day of writing! ;)

CRAFT: After the first draft is done...then what?I want to offer a huge shout out toTerriwho finished the first draft of her book last week. Terri was one of the first writers to join this crazy Writer's Detective adventure and I am insanely proud of her for finishing the first draft. First drafts are never easy andfighting theresistanceis a constant battle.I'm scoring this:

[Terri: 1 | Resistance: 0]

Now that I am writing my own first draft of a book, I understand how monumental a task it can feel...only to discover that the majority of the real work still lay ahead. But here's the thing, finishing your first draft is a gigantic milestone that 99% of the people that "want to write a book" never accomplish. I am a firm believer in celebrating your successes, so when you finish your first draft please take the time to actually celebrate and recognize your accomplishment.

After recuperating from that celebration, you'll likely find yourself back in front of your first draft wondering "So...now what?" Thankfully, Joanna Penn at The Creative Penn gifted usthis blog post about what to do next. I can't wait to get to this stage in my own writing. Speaking of Joanna Penn, I highly suggest checking outThe Creative Penn Podcast. It is one of my absolute favorite podcasts. I listen to it weekly and love how upbeat and positive Joanna is.

Have you found any incredible research links that helped with your story crafting? If you think they are worth sharing with your fellow writers, comment below or in the Facebook Group. I'd love to check them out!